Uniform cap



NOV. 27,1945. 5 F SCHEPPLER 2,389,689

UNIFORM CAP Filed May 20, 1944 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 flvwszvroza EDITH F. SCH E'PPLER A TIDPNEY Patented Nov. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNIFORM CAP Edith F. Scheppler, New York, N. Y.

Application May 20, 1944, Serial No. 536,529

3 Claims.

This invention relates to head dress and more particularly is directed to a cap of improved construction having an interchangeable and convertible crown portion adapted to be used as part of a naval or military uniform and other like purposes in a variety of styles.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve uniform caps of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts that are readily assembled to provide a comfortable wearing head covering of neat and attractive appearance, which shall be easily converted to conform to uniform dress for various desired occasions, which shall be readily fashioned to provide dilferentstyleswith a minimum requirement of disassembly, and which shall be practical and efficient to a high degree in use' Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a uniform cap completely assembled with an interchangeable and convertible crown portion constructed to embody the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved cap shown in Fig. 1, partly broken away to expose the interior construction of the rear portion of the cap.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view show ing the interchangeable crown cover in cross section mounted on the cap frame, taken on line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 illustrates separated portions of the improved cap shown in Fig. 1 before assembly, the crown cover being shown in a side elevation, and the grommet, cap frame and braided band with the insignia in perspective, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing the improved cap with the grommet removed therefrom for fashioning the crown cover to give a desired draping style as distinguished from the outstretched crown cover style shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, I denotes a naval or military cap having an interchangeable and convertible crown portion or cover C constructed to embody the invention.

Said cap l0 may comprise a frame portion F having a stiflened head band I I provided with. an outwardly projecting peripherally extending bead Ila and a suitable visor or eak l2 po sitioned to extend over the cap front or eye rel0 Said crown bracing member on stayer l3 provides the interior supporting means for the front upstanding face of the crown cover 0 in the well understood manner.

The frame portion F of the cap I0 besides having a usual sweat band l5 extending about the interior side of said head band II is also provided with a cross lining or head shield [1 which is secured to extend along the interior surface, that is against the under side of the top or tip iii of the removable crown cover C, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Said cross lining or head shield I! may be permanently attached in the frame structure, one end l'la thereof being secured by stitches or othe permanent suitable fastening means to a mid portion of the bracing member or stayer l3, and the other end I'Ib being secured by stitches or other suitable fastening means to the rear interior of the stiffened head band II, diametrical opposite to said stayer i3 39 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The cap I0 is styled to present a straight upstanding front Illa over the visor l2 and to have a rearward overhang or droop 1b, the top or tip I 6 of the cover C preferably being circular shaped and of greater diameter than the size of the head opening in head band ll so as also to extend beyond the sides of said band ll.

Said crown cover C preferably is made with the one piece circular tip l6 sewn to a double 40 quarter or front side section Ilia, that is, to extend continuously a distance half way around the tip I6, and two single quarters or rear side sections l6b that is, each section 561) to extend one quarter the distance around the tip 16. The

quarter sections Ilia and Nib are sewn to a frame mounting band I60 and form with said tip I6, the crown cover C. Said band I60 is sized so as to permit snugly fitting said band I over the exterior surface of the head band II and against 9 the bead I la as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Disposed to retain the tip N5 of the cover C outstretched and. located to extend over the upper edge of the stayer l3 to the rear cap overhang at Illb, there is provided a circula grommet M which may be formed of an annular strip or ring of metal or other resilient material. When made of a steel strip l4a said grommet l4 preferably is covered by a suitable textile sleeve Mb. The grommet I4 is releasably retained in position by a tab l8 and snap fastener means la, a fixed end of said tab l8 being secured between an end of lining ll and the upper edge of the stayer I3 and when said tab I8 is effective to embrace a portion of said grommet [4, as shown in Figs. 35 and. 4 said grommet l'4 normally lies in a plane in angular relation to the head opening of the cap head band ll. Said. grommet M has the portion thereof diametrical opposite that retained by the tab l8 and snap fastener I8a, lodged within said overhang or droop lllb.

The head band i I may be provided with spaced through eyelets llb located adjacent to and just over the ends of the visor I2, the cover'band l6c being provided with. suitable button. holeopenings Hid formed therein arranged and.posi-- tioned to register with said eyelets Mb when the cover C is assembledzinplace onthe frame-portion F. It has been found. to be quite trouble!- some'to. get the cover C assembled onthe frame portion F with the alignment of the openings id in register with said eyelets. Mb. One feature of the invention is to facilitate'suchproper. assembly. To this end the head. band H and. the cover band lBc are provided with releasable interconnecting fastener means, such assnap fastener parts 21!. The cover band: I60. is: re.- tained in proper relation while'it can be'readily and conveniently slipped oven the head band H. The cover band openings Hid will then positively be aligned and register with said. eyelets Hb:

As a necessary trimming for cap: in; a; braicl band is having eyelets or openings lfibspacedsto register with said eyelets Nb and openingsi led with an upstanding insignia lea is provided. The braid band I9 is fitted to: superimpose over. the cover mounting band ['0 with the insignia lea extending over the front low of the cap It): as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5.

As another usual necessar trimming, 'a1rorna mental front strap 22'is provided to extend. over the braid band i9' just above the visor l2. The opposite ends 22a of said strap 22 are. secured by removable button members 23' which extend:

successively through said strap: ends 220.; spaced openings- Hlb of the braid band I9; opening d of the cover band I60, and said eyelets ll-b of the head band ll which are all in registered alignment. 7 I

The utility of the invention will now be apparent. After the-head'- frame F'with the-stayer [3, head shield l1 and visor J2 aremad'e as one unit of the improved cap ii), one or more crown covers C may be interchangedfor laundering or for various dress requirement when made Oran;- ferent materials, and assembled on the frameportion F in the manner described above with the appropriate braid band 19, insignia 19a and the front strap 22 mounted in place on the cover C making the cap l0 ready to wear. The cap l0, without the grommet l4, permits sides I00- and rear portion lob of the cap cover C to drape down over the frame head band i I thus permitting the head dress asshown in Fig. 5 to have a less rigid appearance than with the grommet M in place as shown in Fig. 1.

To apply the grommet M for stretching the cover C taut it issimply inserted into the frame head opening and secured in proper position by the tab 18 and snap fastener I8a as shown in Fig. 3.

To remove said grommet H, the snap fastener l8a is released and tab I8 merely disengaged from the grommet l4 after which the latter can be removed through said frame head opening. Thus the improved cap I0 may be selectively given a rigid or draped effect as desired with the minimum adjustment, and various suitable covers C may be readily. interchanged with the least fuss'or bother by utilizing said front snap fasteners 20 to adjust and align opem'ngs l9b, Hid and eyelets ill) for receiving the b uttons 23 and securing the strap ends 22a in position.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an improved cap in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As: various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention. and as various changes might be-made in theembodirnent above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown inthe accompanying drawings is' to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense;

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1'. A convertible uniform cap of the character described comprising a reinforced head: band formed with spaced eyelets, a bracing stayerfupstanding from a front portion of said head hand, a flexible head shield permanently secured to loosely extend from said stayer to a: rear portion of the head band, a. circular stretching g'rommet movably attached to said head shield and stayer t a spaced distance fromthehead' band, means for detchably securing the grommet to said head shield and stayer, an interchangeable crown cover fitted over the stayer and grommet'and having a band snugly fitted to the head band, said grommet extending peripheri'al' portions: of

the cover beyond the. rear and sides of the head band for: stretching said cover'to have a greater cross sectional area than the opening of the head band so that when the grommetis detached and removed from within the cap .cover the latter is permitted to assume a draped eiiect at the rear and sides of the cap, said cover band having spaced openings corresponding to thelocation of said head band" eyelets, a strap extendingpartially about the cover over th fi ont oi saidih'ead band, button members securing the ends of said strap in position and having portions thereof inserted through the. cover band openings and through said eyelets, and a snap fastener means for securing the crown cover in proper position on the headband aligning said cover band openings with the eyelets and for securing, said cover against peripherial movement while assembling thereof on the head band.

2. The convertible uniform cap defined in claim 1 having a braidband to overlie said snap fastener meansformed with spaced openings corresponding to said eyeletsand coverband openings, said braid band beingfitted' over said cover band and under said strapwith saidbuttonmembers extending through the braid-band openings, and an insignia carried by the braidband to extend over. a front portion of the cap cover supported by said stayer.

3. A convertible uniformcap of ,the. character described comprising a reinforced. head. band formed with a head openingv and abeadeextends peripheriallv about said. head. opening. a. visor mounted to project from a front portion of said head band over the region of the wearers eyes, spaced eyelets extending through said head band over the ends of the visor, a bracing stayer upstanding from said front portion of the head band above the visor, a flexible head shield permanently secured to loosely extend from said stayer to a rear portion of the head band, an interchangeable crown cover having a band portion snugly fitted over the head band against said bead and having a tip portion of greater area than the opening of the head band, a grommet removai-ly attached to said head shield and stayer at a spaced distance from the head band, said grommet being positioned Within said cover for stretching peripherial portions of the cover beyond the rear end sides of the head band so that when the grommet is removed from within the cap cover the latter is permitted to assume a draped effect at the rear and. sides of the cap, said cover band having spaced openings registering with said eyelets, a snap fastener means for securing the cover in proper position on the head band to align said cover band openings with the eyelets and for securing said cover against peripherial movement while assembling thereof on the head band, a braid band fitted over the cover band having spaced openings aligning with the cover band openings and said eyelets, said braid band formed with an insignia extending over the front portion of the cover band supported by said stayer, a strap extending partially about the braid band, and button members securing said strap ends formed with portions inserted through the braid band and cover openings and the eyelets.

EDITH F. SCHEPPLER. 

